2004: A YEAR IN REVIEW

Continuing the tradition started last year, this is a year-end wrap up for my sf/fantasy/horror experiences for 2004. These are not necessarily things that first appeared this year; they are just the things that I read or watched this year.

THE BEST

Twistor by John Cramer. An excellent story that kept me turning pages.

Stiff by Mary Roach. Held my attention from beginning to end. (OK, not a fiction book, but still, this was a darn good read.)

My Short-Story-A-Day Experiment proved to be valuable in terms of discovering new authors and high-quality stories. Sure, there were some bad ones too, but overall, it was a fun and rewarding reading experience. Standout stories read this year are (Go, Go Gadget mail-Merge!)

“The Reluctant Book” by Paul Di Fillippo (2000)

“Behold The Man” by Michael Moorcock (1967)

“Mother to the World” by Richard Wilson (1968)

“Paycheck” by Philip K. Dick (1953)

“Passengers” by Robert Silverberg (1969)

“A Boy and His Dog” by Harlan Ellison (1969)

“Pattern” by Fredric Brown (1954)

“The Awakening” by Arthur C. Clarke (1952)

“Mute Milton” by Harry Harrison (1966)

“Close Behind Him” by John Wyndham (1953)

“Thirty Days Had September” by Robert F. Young (1957)

“To Cuddle Amy” by Nancy Kress (2000)

“Regression” by Brian Stableford (2000)

“Presence” by Maureen F. McHugh (2002)

“When It Ends” by Robert Reed (2000)

“The Ladykiller, as Observed from a Safe Distance” by Brian Stableford (2000)

2 Comments on 2004: A YEAR IN REVIEW

I enjoyed your reviews – direct and honest! I like intelligent fast moving yarns in SF but have not run into many of thoselately . I enjoy SF books from the 60’s on up to today. I just finished a book called the Assignment by Marl Andrew Olsen. Great! Also, another book I just read called “Lives of the Mind” by Roger Kimball which is a collection of essays was exceptional. Now, I can’t see to get going. I have a copy of Darwin’s Radio amd might try that. Wondering if you can recommend a few. I am in the doghouse without a good book and need some real paper.

TSP On This Day

This is just a friendly reminder that the cast of Battlestar Galactica will be appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman tonight. They will be presenting the nightly Top 10 list. See original post.

It's no secret I like George Mann's Newbury & Hobbes stories, so I'm thrilled to see that Amazon has the cover and synopsis of Mann's The Casebook of Newbury & Hobbes, a collection of short fiction featuring the pair of steampunk-era detectives. Here’s the official synopsis: